Australia

On Monday the 26th of November Senator Di Natale introduced a new bill to overturn the Federal Euthanasia Laws Act 1997which prohibited all three Australian Territories with limited self-government from passing laws on euthanasia & assisted suicide.

The closing months of 2012 saw a media barrage from various pro-euthanasia sources, particularly in the Eastern States. From personal testimonies to new polling results, the intensity and frequency across all traditional forms of media cannot have been accidental.

Respect for autonomy is one of the most convincing arguments for euthanasia. It was the theme of a strong defence of legalising it in Australia in the Journal of Law and Medicine by Margaret Otlowski and Lorana Bartels in 2010. They concluded that “ in a secular society with an ageing population” legalisation is inevitable.

Recently Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings MP, in response to a tweet from a colleague about the problems with euthanasia in jurisdictions where it is legal replied: “Interesting that democracies from Oregon to Switzerland with Voluntary Assisted Dying have not gone back and overturned their laws - why?”

We reported recently that Dr Nitschke, director of Exit International has been given 48 hours within which to convince the Medical Board of Australia that it should not suspend his medical practice certificate.